The Vacation
by Hazelnut Pie
Summary: Ever wonder what happens when a dark, angry goddess goes to Olympus for vacation, where there's a lot of gods she really, really doesn't like? This is the story for you!
1. To Olympus I Go

"What do you mean, I need to a vacation?"

Hecate glared at the increasingly nervous looking man sitting on the throne in front of her, who was noticeably slinking deeper in to the throne. For most people, he would have made them break down right on the spot. But Hecate was a different matter all together.

The man, also known as Hades, King of the Underworld, was struggling to regain his composure and trying to look more kingly and menacing. He stuttered a few times before finally speaking.

"I meant that, lately these days you've been acting a bit…off." Catching her increasingly angry glare, he hurried on. "I mean, not that there's anything wrong with you. But you should take a break to forget your worries. Your job would be fulfilled in your absence."

Hecate still looked mad. " Even if I am going, where would I go to take this 'vacation'?" she said mockingly, unconsciously sliding her gaze to the smaller, more elegant throne next to Hades. Since it was summer, Persephone would be in the upperworld with her mother, Demeter. Which was too bad, because Hecate needed all the support she could get.

Hades looked surprised she hadn't guessed it already. "Well, I suppose the first choice for a vacation would be Olympus."

The reaction he got back nearly made him fall out of his throne.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? WHY WOULD ANYONE EVER RELAX THERE? DIDN"T YOU REMEMBER ME SAYING THAT I WOULD RATHER GET RIPPED APART BY THE FURIES THAN GO THERE?" Hecate's usually pale face turned red so fast that Hades wondered if she drank one of her potions while she was yelling.

Hades tried to calm her down. " Look, Olympus isn't so bad. There are some nice people there. Like…" he tried unsuccessfully to think of a few names. "Like…Leto! Your aunt! And Hestia! And you can see Persephone again! How long had it been since you went up there, anyways?"

Hecate's rage-distorted features quickly turned thoughtful. "I guess…it's been a long time since I've seen my aunt." She said slowly. "And I guess I've haven't been up there for a while."

Hades stared hopefully at her as she continued to talk.

"I guess I want to see everybody I missed. And…I do need a break from all the guiding souls." She continued. She finally looked up at Hades. "Fine, have it your way. I'll go. But if the Terrible Twins drive me nuts again, I'll blame you."

Hades couldn't help smiling. "Great! I'll send one of the Lampades to collect your stuff."

Hecate suddenly smiled up at him, a contrast from her earlier face. "You know, maybe next time you should take a vacation too."

Hades shuddered. "And actually trying to put up with my family? No, thank you."

They both laughed. This is one of the things they shared in common, the whole shying away from people part. They both thought that their obnoxious relatives on Olympus were too annoying to interactive with. Even during the Titan War, the two preferred to talk amongst themselves rather than palling around with the rest of them. This is one of the reasons why Hecate went with Hades down to the Underworld in the first place.

A few minutes later, Hecate was at one of the exits of the Underworld, and as she was walking out, she muttered under her breath, "This is going to be a very interesting week."

And it was going to be. Just not in the way she expected it to be.

* * *

**Yay! Welcome to my new story! Haven't done this for a while, and I'm hoping that I could finish this story. As you can see, this is a story about Hecate, my favorite goddess. Reviews are welcome!**


	2. A List of Grievances

Hecate walked to her chariot, completely annoyed at everybody in the world.

She really didn't want to go to Olympus. It was filled with bad memories, memories of another time. She couldn't even bear to think of the name without having images of the people she hated the most flashing through her head, making her dizzy and a little bit murderous.

As she was putting the harness onto her dragons, she heard a very familiar barking sound coming closer. She smiled, because it was the sound of a very good friend of hers.

"Merope!" she exclaimed, turning to hug her favourite dog, a gift from her father. "What are you doing here?"

Merope looked at her with large, brown eyes. The sight could have made anyone's hearts warm. Even though Merope looked menacing with her large size, fur that was as dark as the night, and sharp fangs, she was actually very kind and loyal.

Hecate, sensing the dog's feelings, shook her head. She felt like her heart was breaking. "I'm sorry, Merope, but you can't come. But I promise you that I'll talk to you every day. I swear!" Hecate put her hand on her heart. "I swear on the river Styx that I'll do that!"

The dog seemed slightly more mollified, but she cocked her head to the side and asked Hecate, _why can't I come?_

Hecate sighed. All of her dogs were stubborn, but Merope was the most persistent of them all. That's what made her love her so much, though. "Because, Artemis would be there and she would make me let her 'borrow' you again." In fact, Artemis still had some of Hecate's hounds. Hecate made a silent promise to find Artemis when she arrives at Olympus.

Merope roused her from her musings with a friendly lick on her cheek. Hecate reluctantly stood up and walked over to her chariot and jumped into it. Then, with a flick of the reins, the dragons lifted their scaly bodies up, stretched their powerful legs, and began to run.

Hecate looked back and waved to her friend. As she rode off into the sky, she could hear a howl in the air behind her.

The flight to Olympus to a few hours, and her dragons were well trained to fly without guidance, so Hecate sat down in her chariot to think about her "vacation".

Hecate never really liked staying on Olympus. It was way too noisy, always filled with gods wanting to fight and goddesses singing all the time. The rooms were okay, she supposed, and the food was good. She had a room on the floor where all the Titans who didn't support Cronus lived, and it was right under the floor where the Olympians lived. Which means that she has to endure loud thumping, yelling, crashing, and the occasional sword fight sounds whenever she sleeps.

But the place wasn't the reason for the dread that was pooling up in the bottom of her stomach. No, it was the people. Specifically the Olympians.

Right after the Titan war, Zeus had offered her a seat on the council, but she had (politely) declined. She knew that being a part of the Olympians was going to be even worse than being trapped in the pits of fire in Tartarus while listening to the harpies sing. And she was right.

Now, a few hundred years, several very messy affairs, and two big wars later, the Olympians consisted of twelve very annoying, arrogant, and powerful immortals. Hecate disliked most of them with a burning passion. If she had to rank three of the gods she hated most on a list, it would be like this:

Zeus

Hermes

Apollo/ Artemis

She put Zeus as number 1, because she could never forgive him for what he had done to her family, and to her life. Sometimes, when she is feeling dejected, she would imagine many knives sticking out of his dead body. It was great fun.

Hermes, for their difficult and tumultuous relationship that finally ended with a restraining order. She hadn't trusted another man since then. Even now, she still can't think of him without a tightness behind her eyes, without a fire burning in her gut.

Apollo and Artemis? She didn't really hate them. In fact, on occasions, she was rather fond of them. They were like the siblings she'd never have. But, sometimes she couldn't help being annoyed by their arrogance and insensitivity. Apollo was a failed musician who cannot keep a woman for his life, and Artemis was simply a whiny little girl with a bow. She didn't even want to be associated with them sometimes. It didn't help that she kept getting mistaken with Artemis. How on earth are we alike? Hecate thought to herself as she fiddled with a tiny, jewelled locket. We don't even look alike. Artemis had very long, curly brown hair that changes colors depending on the time of day, and she always wears it in a braid. She has midnight blue eyes and (unhealthy) pale skin that for some reason everybody seems to think looks beautiful. Hecate, on the other hand, has shoulder-length black hair and violet eyes. People must be blind to get the two of them mistaken for each other.

You may wonder why Hecate hadn't throttled the both of them already, if she hates them so much. The reason for that is the twins' mother, Leto.

Leto was Hecate's aunt, and by far one of the few people who Hecate still cares a great deal about in the world. Whenever she was little, her aunt would always visit her and bring her sweets and warm hugs. Because she is the nicest person ever, Hecate had to tolerate her two children, who had obviously gotten their personality from their father, Zeus. Actually, most children of Zeus acted a bit like him sometimes. Even Persephone sometimes bossed people around whenever it was winter time.

Those thoughts whirled inside Hecate's brain until slowly, she fell into sleep.

_Bump! _Hecate woke up with a start. She looked around groggily. She had to cover her eyes, because the sun was incredibly close to her eyes right now, almost as if she was on a very tall mountain and was facing it directly…

Hecate quickly stood up. She scanned her surroundings until she saw it.

Not a few metres away from her, stood the shiny, golden, very elaborate gates of Olympus, surrounded by clouds.

Hecate gulped.

Did she _really _want to see those people she called family again?

Just as she was about to walk away, another, foreign voice came to mind. Are you really going to be this cowardly? The voice demanded. You are the goddess of everything that's not weak, so stop acting like it!

Hecate sighed, hating the voice. It was true and that was exactly why she hated it. If she was going to be miserable for one week, she should at least face it like a…man.

She took a deep breath, counted to ten, and then knocked on the gold doors. They swung open.

The last thing she saw was a flurry of white robes and a crazy, maniacal smile.

* * *

**Yay update! I'm so happy that I got reviews! P.S. If you know your mythology, you'll know what happened to Hecate's mother.**


	3. Family Reunion

"Ugh…" Hecate mumbled as she finally opened her eyes and looked around sluggishly. Where was she? Her eyes cleared and she saw that she was on a bench in a beautiful garden filled with flowers, trees, and statues. There was a small pond in the middle of it all filled with ducks, where a few nature spirits were tossing pieces at them. It was all very perfect. Too perfect.

Then she remembered everything. Olympus. The gates. The whole getting-knocked-out part. Hecate groaned and laid back onto the bench, where to her surprise, she found cushions beneath her head.

"Oh, are you finally awake?" said a vaguely familiar feminine voice.

Hecate blinked in surprise as a girl who came out of nowhere loomed over her. She had pale brown hair that hung down her back, large amber eyes, and an unsettling smile. Hecate strained her brain to come up with a name that matched the face. Finally, she found it.

"Hello…Eirene?" she desperately hoped that she got the name right.

The Goddess of Peace beamed, making her eyes light up and her freckles scrunch up. "You still remember me? After all these years? I must say that I am so happy to see you, Hecate! My mother would also be happy to see you too!" she said this so fast that her mouth seemed to be a blur.

Hecate managed a smile, "I'm glad to see you too, Eirene." Hecate stared at her suspiciously. "Were you the one who tackled me?"

Eirene nodded happily. "Of course it was me! Dike and Eunomia are too boring and stiff to show any signs of emotion at all. Besides, it's not their shift." The three sisters, or Horae, were the gatekeepers of Olympus. Eirene cocked her head to the side. "Say, cousin, what brings you here after such a long time?"

Hecate sat up, completely recovered. "Oh, Hades just wanted me to get a vacation. Apparently, he thinks I'm working too hard." She shook her head. "Sometimes I just don't know what he's thinking."

Eirene snorted. "He's been weird ever since he got married. Marriage can do strange things to a person's head."

Hecate nodded. "I agree."

They were both quiet for a moment, until Eirene suddenly broke the silence by suggesting that they go to her room and unpack. Hecate looked around for her bags and couldn't find them.

"Oh, I sent someone to go put them in your room." Eirene waved her hand as they walked towards the palace.

"What about my chariot?"

"It is in the stables. Very smart dragons you got there. Even knows the way there."

"Well of course. They're _my_ dragons."

They finally reached the long, marble steps that leads up to the large, majestic palace constructed with white marble that seemed to shine a thousand different colors, and all the balconies and windows were trimmed in gold. Hecate hesitated before following Eirene up the steps. Once she reached the large doors, she could hear the noise of many gods doing their daily business inside.

Hecate licked her dry lips, aware that her palms were sweating. She was definitely not ready to go in. Eirene noticed this and gave her palm a squeeze. Hecate felt a tiny bit better as a trickle of Eirene's powers filled her, making her insides more peaceful.

"Don't be so nervous. Everybody's dying to see you again." Eirene smiled.

"I just don't want to go in there. I always feel awkward here." Hecate fidgeted with her hands, looking for any reason not to push open the large, intricately carved bronze doors a few feet in front of her.

"I'll go in there with you," Eirene assured her. But at that moment, a loud shout followed by a rant filled with colourful words came from one of the courtyards off to the side, and Eirene sighed, running her hands through her caramel hair.

"I got to go. Eris is causing trouble again. See you later!" Eirene quickly ran off to the courtyard, leaving Hecate standing in front of the doors with a fluttering stomach.

"Wait, _he's _not in here, is he?" Hecate yelled after her.

Eirene yelled back. "Who?"

"You know…HIM!"

"Oh….no, I believe he's out running errands for Zeus. You know how busy he is!"

Yes, I do know how busy he is, Hecate thought glumly to herself. She still got his schedule memorized, even after all these years. She turned back to the doors, slightly relieved that at least one of the people she hates wasn't in the building.

"I can do this, I can do this, and I can do this…"she muttered. "Come on, it's just a door…" Taking a deep breath, she brushed her fingers against the huge doors.

They swung open.

And the main hall was filled with people.

Who all stopped their conversations and stared at her.

_Oh. My. Gods. This is even worse than I thought. _Hecate thought as she stepped onto the marble floor. The doors closed behind her, cutting off a way to escape.

Everybody was openly staring at her. There were some whispered conversations which Hecate couldn't hear, but she was sure it was about her. Hecate was beginning to feel annoyed.

"What are you all looking at?" she snapped. Then she felt embarrassed. _What a great first day impression_, Hecate thought.

All the gods were silent, as if they didn't hear her. A lyrical voice suddenly broke the tension, and Hecate was glad for it.

"Well, well, well. I know that temper anywhere. I was getting worried that I'll never see my favourite niece again!" the owner of the voice, a woman, exclaimed as she stepped out of the crowd. It was definitely a familiar face this time, and one that Hecate was very glad to see.

"Aunt Leto!" she yelled, completely forgetting all of her nervousness a minute before as she ran to hug her favourite person in the whole world.

"Welcome back, Hecate." Leto whispered as she ran her fingers through Hecate's dark hair. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too." Hecate replied as she pulled away, studying her aunt's face that she hadn't seen for so long. Leto looked as beautiful as always, with her curly brown hair in a braid and her blue eyes still sparkling with cheer after all these years. "We should catch up." She said as Leto led her through the crowd to the stairs that went up to the rooms.

Leto nodded. "Yes, we shall, my dear. But first you should greet all your old friends here."

Hecate groaned. "Do I have to?"

Leto gave her a look.

Hecate reluctantly turned around and waved half heartedly. "Hello, everybody. I'm back."

This seemed to stir the crowd into movement, for suddenly they streamed towards the stairs, surrounding her. She could barely hear the shouts.

"Hecate, long time no see!"

"How's it going?"

"Why did you come back now?"

"Hermes missed you!"

"Did you get to see him?"

This made Hecate a bit caught off guard. He missed her? He certainly hadn't seemed like it ten years ago.

"He does not miss me!" she said out loud.

"But of course he does!" this came from tall woman with curly blond hair and large blue eyes with thick eyelashes. Great. It was Aphrodite, goddess of love.

She smiled and took Hecate by the shoulders. "I'm so glad you are back! Don't worry, I promise this time you will have a good relationship, maybe you'll get back with you-know-who?" she wiggled her eyebrows in a suggestive way.

"Uh…no thanks. I really don't want to be with him again." Hecate stammered, slightly unnerved by Aphrodite's smile that she always had whenever she's planning something. Something that always ends in attempted murder and restraining orders.

Aphrodite looked shocked. "But you have to have a lover! I mean, look at you!" she gestured at her body. "How could you not want to fall in love?"

As Hecate was about to formulate a reply, another voice broke in. "Calm down, Dite. If the girl doesn't want a lover, then don't bug her about it." As always, the level-headed Athena managed to mollify everything with her reassurances. She smiled at Hecate. "Good to have you back again."

Athena had long brown hair and grey eyes. She always had that look on her face that seemed as though she was thinking of strategies to take down whoever's she's talking to. This reminded her of Metis, Hecate's childhood friend and Athena's mother. And another person who was ripped away from her by Zeus.

Aphrodite looked mad to be interrupted. She and Athena quickly fell into one of their many arguments about love. They never agreed, because while Aphrodite wanted everyone to find a mate, Athena, who is a virgin goddess, thinks it is unnecessary. Just as it was getting heated up, two men stepped out of the crowd. One had a bowl haircut and purple eyes, and smelled like grapes, while the other had curly red hair and angry red eyes that blazed like fire.

The boy with the bowl haircut stepped between Aphrodite and Athena. "Calm down, ladies! No need to fight, for today is a happy day! Hecate came back, and thus we shall have a banquet! I'll go get the wine!"

Athena rolled her eyes at him. "Dionysus, you have way too much wine for your own good."

Dionysus blinked innocently at her. "But, dearest Athena! I am the god of wine! So that means I could never have too much wine for my own good. In fact, I should get more, to truly fulfill my position." Athena snorted.

The redheaded boy walked over to Aphrodite and wrapped his muscular arm around her waist. She leaned into him and nuzzled his neck. Hecate groaned silently to herself. She was always uncomfortable with public displays of affection.

"Yeah, yeah, Hecate's back. Hooray and all that. Can we get back to more important things, like me?" he said.

Hecate rolled her eyes. "Oh, thanks a lot, Ares, for making me feel so welcome after all of these years. You are truly the greatest friend a person could have." Not that Ares was really a friend, more like a person she doesn't hate. Ironic, considering he is the God of War and Violence, which made him detestable to many people.

Ares snorted. "Not my fault if some people are a bit cold to you after all this time of boycotting us just because of some stupid breakup."

Hecate was about to say something back when Leto grabbed her shoulder. She shook her head, smiling. "Now, now. There is no need for fights on the first day back." She led Hecate up the stairs. "Let me take you to your room. And after that, you should go say hi to the twins."

Hecate felt her mood dampen yet again. She slumped her shoulders forward, and dragged every step up the stairs. "They hate me. They are probably going to murder me when your back is turned and throw me off the mountain."

Leto chuckled as they reached one of Olympus's many transportation tubes. Both women stepped in and felt the trembling of the bronze plate beneath their feet as pressurized air shot them toward the sixth floor. The floor where the remaining Titans lived. "Oh, Hecate, you're such a drama queen. Apollo and Artemis do love you! But they don't see you much so they don't know you well. Spend more time with them and I'm sure they would warm up to you, and I'm sure you three will be good friends!" she clapped her hands together for emphasis as they walked out of the tube.

Hecate doubted it, but she managed a smile for her aunt. "Yeah, maybe." Leto was the friendliest goddess ever, because she is the Titan of Motherhood. But like mothers, she is also completely oblivious to personal matters sometimes. The twins hate her, and vice versa. They were never going to be friends. Never.

But Hecate didn't have time to brood as she was walking through the hall, enchanted by all the elaborate decorations. There were reliefs on the white marble walls, statues in the middle of the hall depicting the inhabitants of the floor, and even a fountain. The doors were in between marble pillars. All of them were lined in gold. Hecate saw some doors that she recognized, such as the black, star covered door with a giant moon on it as her grandmother, Phoebe's. Or the rosy pink one covered with clouds shaded with orange, yellow, pink and lined with gold as her aunt Eos's. And the dark blue one with two torches mounted on it, and carved with ancient charms as her own.

Yep, she was "home".

How lovely.

Hecate went through the door. It was one of her gifts that she was born with when she was little, as she was the goddess of walls and doors. She liked doing it, as it freaked people out and saved the trouble of finding a key. She opened the door for her aunt on the inside.

"Do you want to come in?" she asked.

Leto shook her head. "No, I'll just leave you here to settle in." They said farewell and Hecate closed the door and studied her room.

It wasn't so much a room as it was a suite. There was a bathroom and a workroom connecting to the bedroom. There was a large bed covered with soft, fluffy pillows and a purple comforter against the right wall, a big white closet, a table with a few of her books, and a chest where she kept some of her childhood memories. The window was open for some odd reason, and sunlight spilled into the room onto the carpet, making it look glittery. The window led out to the balcony where the sound of music was floating up. Probably some of the Muses performing. It was a paradise most people could only dream of.

Hecate would give anything to go back to the Underworld.

She sighed and lay down on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, which she made to look like the night sky. She tried her favourite thing to do when she was dejected, which was tracing the constellations and reciting the stories behind them to herself.

As she was reaching the part about Medusa for Pegasus, she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," she called out, and went in front of the door. The door swung open.

And she almost slammed it shut.

"Hello, my dear cousin." The girl on the other side replied.

It was Artemis.

Oh, dear


	4. Unexpected Guests and Humiliation

Hecate stared at Artemis, mouth agape. _What is she doing here? How does she even know I'm here? _A voice screamed inside of her head. But this is Olympus, after all, so news travels around here pretty fast. But still, it's a surprise to see her cousin here so soon. She'd thought that she would only see them at dinnertime, which she was dreading, since that meant that she would have to see _him._

Artemis still looked the same the last time she saw her, with her long curly brown hair in a messy braid and dark blue eyes. She wore her typical uniform of knee-length dress and hunting boots. She apparently just came back from hunting, because she got her bow and quiver with her and she smelled faintly of dead animal. She tapped her foot impatiently.

"Well, are you going to just stand there and gape at me or are you going to let me in?" she demanded, already stepping into the room.

Hecate immediately closed her mouth and glared at her. Artemis is still the same as always, alright, with her rude manners and disregard for people's space. Hecate sincerely hoped that she get mauled by wolves.

Artemis sat down on Hecate's couch and stared at her. "What are you thinking about?" she asked, playing with one of her arrows.

"Oh…nothing." Hecate said, sitting down on the couch. "What are you doing here?" she said after a minute of awkward silence.

Artemis blinked innocently at her, "What? Can't a goddess go visit her favourite cousin after so many years?"

Hecate snorted. "Oh, please, I bet Leto made you come here."

Artemis smiled but didn't say anything. She leaned against the back of the couch. "I think I should be asking you that question. What are _you_ doing here? I thought that you swore never to set foot on Olympus ever again, not even if it's the last place on Earth and Zeus himself begged you to come." She paused and looked at her thoughtfully. "And then you said a bunch of other things that didn't sound very attractive, something about boiling someone in hot oil and surface of the Sun." she grinned. "You should have seen He- _his face _when you threatened him. It was hilarious!" she imitated a horror-filled face and laughed hysterically. "But anyway, back to the question. Answer it!" she said, pointing a razor-sharp arrow at Hecate.

Hecate wondered for the millionth time how she was related to Artemis.

"I'm just here because Hades forced me to take a vacation here. I'll be out of here and a week." She said, pointedly ignoring the arrow.

Artemis just stared at her, a slow smile crawling up on her face.

"Are you sure you aren't going to squeeze in a little extra business during your vacation?" she asks, and puts her feet on the end table. Hecate resisted the urge to smack her.

"If you mean reconciling with _him, _then you've got another thing coming," Hecate muttered, but not so softly that Artemis couldn't hear. She decided to change the subject to slightly less morbid things. "So, where's Apollo?"

Artemis waved her hand, bored. "Oh, I think he's down in the mortal world, trying unsuccessfully to woo another nymph. Poor boy, he just doesn't understand he can't have everything." She began to toss her arrow up and down. "That's why I think dating is overrated."

Hecate nodded, agreeing with her. This is the reason she wanted to be one in the first place, which was right after the Titan war. She thought she might be able to give that up with Hermes, but that thought soared right out of her mind after that fateful yet hilarious accident. One that involved another woman and many, many fluffy rabbits.

"Well, anyway, I've got to go now, but I'll see you around. Maybe I'll see you at dinner." Artemis said, standing up and leaving without another word. Just as she headed out, she turned her head back. "Oh, by the way, did you know Hermes is getting married to Peitho?"

The look on Hecate's face made Artemis laugh so hard that her laughter was still heard even after she left the floor.

She supposed it was expected. Gods, specifically the Olympian gods, had an attention span the size of a walnut.

But still, she didn't expect it to happen so soon. Not after only…ten years?

The weird thing was, she used to be friends with Peitho, during the reign of the Titans. She was one of the many, many daughters of Oceanus and Tethys, who were still having children even now. But even then, Peitho stood out, because of her wit, sharp tongue, and ability to make even the most strong-headed people serve her. Which makes her a bit spoiled, and she could always get out of a sticky situation. She could say anything to anyone and they would believe her.

Which was probably the reason why she was getting married to Hermes, the god of lies.

Hecate sighed as she looked out to the gardens over the balcony. She should be having a party or something right now, but she didn't. All she felt was a heavy stone on the bottom of her stomach and the scratchiness of her throat.

Does that mean that all the times that they have been together was just another tryst for him?

It sure didn't seem like it at the time. She had been so naïve back then, because she had never fallen in love. But she should have known better, from watching the all the arguments the gods had with their spouses. She smiled bitterly as she remembered the first time she had met.

_Hecate was sitting down at her favourite tree, which was right next to the stream. She had a long day and needed a long, soothing rest away from the annoying, whiny spirits. Leaning her head against the rough bark, she closed her eyes and dozed off._

_And then when she woke up there was a boy right on top of her, staring at her creepily._

_He said, "Can I touch you?"_

_And the next thing he knew he was tossed face-first into the creek and being thrown from side to side by vines that came out of nowhere._

That day, she had gained two things. The first is a new name, Brimo, the angry one. The second was a surprisingly vast knowledge of swear words she didn't even knew she had.

So that day was not exactly romantic. In fact, for moths after that incident, Hermes would cower in fear and hide behind the nearest god whenever he saw her. But they got more acquainted during the whole Persephone thing, bonded during the Giant War, and became extremely close whenever they had to work together. It was all going so well, and Hecate thought she might finally feel love and get to experience those feelings she had seen between various couples. Aphrodite had squealed, exclaiming that she had finally gotten a virgin goddess to fall in love and now all she needed was the others to fall in love also and she would explode out of pure joy. Hecate had practically gone deaf that day.

And then she had caught him in bed with an Oread nymph right before the engagement. After he had promised to never, ever have an affair. So the next thing the both of them knew they were trapped under stone, glass, and a chandelier.

That was the day she had stormed back to the Underworld. That was the day she had vowed, never, ever, ever, to fall in love. Ever again.

Hecate was so caught up in her memories that she hadn't noticed that the sun had set and the sky was now dark purple. All the gods and goddesses had gone back inside the palace to eat dinner. She sighed, not wanting to go to the dining room. She wasn't hungry and it would be the most awkward thing ever if she showed up. She had never liked to be under pressure and wasn't about to test her tolerance to tension.

But by now everyone would have known she was here and if she didn't show up, she would be the one everybody is gossiping about tomorrow. And she hated gossip even more than pressure.

Hecate walked over to the door and was about to go out when she realized that she wasn't even dressed properly. She was still in her wrinkled dress and cloak, and this would just create even more tension if she showed up like this. So she went to her closet, changed into a scarlet dress with a black sash, and went outside.

She nearly ran into a man.

"Gah!" she yelped, crashing against the man's shoulder. He steadied her, and then she was about to say sorry and yell at him about sneaking up on her, when she recognized him.

Suddenly, the day had gotten a lot better.

"Zephyrus!" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly. While she had been here she did not even think of her other cousin, the one that she actually liked.

"Hecate!" he exclaimed back, ruffling her head. "It's been so long. How's the pit? Any good torture stories?"

Hecate grinned and stood back, studying her cousin. He was still the same as ten years ago, with his eternally messy light brown hair, light blue eyes, and crazy smile. His wings were spread out, catching the light of the chandeliers and shining a thousand colors. Sure, he was a bit odd, since he was a bisexual and has two wives, but he was her favourite cousin and vice versa, so that's that.

"Oh, it's the same as always. Rolling boulders, doused in oil, stretched, burned, and all that. Nothing new. I think Hades is losing his touch ever since he got married. He's kind of becoming a wuss now." She said, and the two of them began to walk down to the tubes.

Zephyrus snorted. "I guess that's why he let you out. Well, at least you get to see the light again. How does it feel? Are your eyes burning with pain yet? Do I have to throw a cloak over your head?"

Hecate giggled and punched not so lightly on the shoulder. The two of them were deposited down gently from the tubes and began to walk to the direction of the dining room.

He turned to look at her again, but this time it was more serious. "Look, I know there's a lot of pain for you here, but don't worry, I'm here for you. We're all here for you. Me and my brothers and Mother." Then his face brightened. "You can sit with us and we'll catch up on everything here on Mount Olympus for you. Did you know that Artemis took up a lesbian lover?"

Hecate's jaw dropped. "NO. WAY. I always knew it was coming because she hangs out with girls all the time, but still." She shook her head. "Wow. How did Zeus react?"

"He went ballistic. The yelling was so loud it could be heard all over Olympus. There was thunderstorms for hours afterwards." He made hand gestures imitating how big it was. "Then Zeus got out his thunderbolt and killed the poor girl right from Olympus. Artemis was so upset that she destroyed a dozen statues, and broke some guy's nose when he bumped into her. It was hilarious!"

"Zephyrus, that's mean. Aren't you thinking about how Artemis is feeling?" Hecate put her face into a mock-serious expression. "You should think of people's feelings before you laugh at them!"

He just looked at her. And then the both of them were in hysterics. Hecate hadn't laughed this much in a long time. Her sides were hurting and she could hardly breathe.

And then they were in front of the doors to the dining room.

Suddenly lesbian cousins aren't so funny anymore.

Zephyrus had also stopped laughing, and was looking at her with concern. "Are you ready to go in and face your doom?"

"Perhaps." But the word came out in a squeak.

Zephyrus placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," he said comfortingly. "If he comes and bothers you we'll all beat him up. Together. As a family."

Hecate smiled, even though the butterflies in her stomach had evolved into harpies. Zephyrus seemed to have noticed this and gave her a friendly punch on the shoulder. She punched him back. They were hitting each other until Zephyrus gave a shove on her back with too much force and knocked her through the doors, where she lay on the other side, sprawled out.

"I'll get you for that!" she yelled back, laughing. She wondered why it was so silent in the room, until she turned around.

And immediately dropped her smile.

There was a long dining table in the middle of the room. And all the seats were occupied by gods.

All of them were staring at her.

"Uh, hi?" she finally managed, feeling a nervous smile spreading across her face for reasons she didn't know why. "Sorry, for, um, interrupting. It, um, was an, uh, accident."

They continued staring. Someone coughed.

She mentally groaned. It seems the Fates were not going to let her have an easy week.

* * *

**Surprisingly, Artemis did have a lesbian lover in mythology. What are the odds, huh?**


	5. A Lovely Dinner

It wasn't that bad of an entrance, Hecate would muse later. She didn't get knocked out by crazy people, and some of the expressions on the Olympians were completely hilarious. Maybe later she would put the mental image in a memory sphere and relish it for all time. She considered hanging it from the ceiling in her Underworld room.

But all these thoughts were miles away as Hecate fidgeted uncomfortably under all twelve of the Olympians' stare, and began to feel angry. Why were they staring at her like that?

"What?" she snapped, some of her temper back. "Never seen someone fall before?" it probably wasn't the best thing to say to the most powerful gods in the world, but she just had to say it. And she couldn't help smiling when some of them drop their gazes.

Zeus, who was at the center of the long table on the raised platform, and still had that stupid blond hair and that annoying smile, spoke first. "Well, look who just came in! Another amazing entrance as always, Hecate, and right when we were beginning to worry that you won't show up!" He smiled and showed his perfect teeth that Hecate just wanted to punch right through. "It had been such a long time since I've seen you, old friend! Why don't you join us here?"

Hecate knew the answer to that question immediately: A big fat NO. She'd love to see the expression on his face when he realized that she was one of the very few had denied his orders. She regretted not bringing a memory sphere once again. But, for some reason, her eyes chose to wander across the mahogany table, searching for something…or someone.

Right next to Zeus was Hera, his wife. Hera looked disinterested, as always. She never showed emotions, her eyes a cold green, her skin as pale as snow, and even her hair seemed to show that same icy personality, which was long and straight, and instead of being a vibrant red was pale auburn, like a sunset shining on the snow. On the other side of Zeus was Poseidon, who was twirling his brown hair around his finger and was staring at nothing in particular. He still smelled like dead fish. And then there was Demeter, who was smiling at her, Artemis, who winked, Apollo, whose jaw was dropped so low that she could see everything in his mouth, including the half-chewed steak, Dionysus, already drunk, Ares, who was still eating like a pig, Hephaestus, who was in a world of his own, Athena, gazing at her like she's an interesting test specimen, and Aphrodite, who was smiling blindingly and making very obvious gestures towards a certain someone who was probably the last person she ever wanted to see right now, a someone with light brown hair, green eyes, wearing a winged helmet, and trying to look as if he was paying attention to something else but was also sneaking glances at her. The whole episode finalized her answer.

Hecate put on her very best smile. "I'm sorry, Zeus, but I'm afraid I cannot sit with you because I already agreed to sit with Zephyrus." She pointed to her cousin, who was standing at the doorway with a mortified expression on his face when he realized everybody was staring at him. She tried to look sorry without smiling too much.

Zeus's expression didn't change, but his smile tightened a little bit and his eyes didn't look so warm. After an awkward silence, he spoke again. "Oh…that's…fine, I suppose." He cleared his throat. Then he raised his goblet and looked around the large room. "So here's to having Hecate back with us on Olympus!" Everyone (except for one) raised their cups and drank. Hecate took this opportunity to sneak over to Zephyrus's table, where he had already sneaked over to.

Her aunt Eos was the first to spot her. She smiled and immediately wrapped her into a hug. They were a contrast to each other, because while Hecate was dark and pale, Eos was rosy and had long red hair that seemed to capture all the shades of the sunrise. Eos stepped back and looked at her.

"Oh, my darling, it's so good to see you again." She whispered as they sat down. "I was so worried when you disappeared down to the Underworld. Never contacting us, not even a carrier spirit. Are you eating enough down there? You look so much thinner than the last time I saw you!" She continued ranting on and on about how she needed to eat more and take better care of herself and coming back to Olympus sooner. Hecate couldn't help but smile at her aunt's concern. She still hadn't changed. Hecate wondered if she's still under that curse.

Notus, who was sitting across from her, rolled his eyes. "She's like this every day right after you left. And now you came back, she's going to be like this all the time. Thank you, dear cousin." Even though he was the south wind and so the warmest, he can still act a bit frosty sometimes. Most of the time, in fact. But today, she didn't mind. Not much, anyways.

"Hey, Notus, be nice. She's just came back after forever." Eurus, the east wind, said softly. He was the most obscure of the brothers, and thus the quietest. He was the youngest, so everybody was protective of him. He glanced at her shyly and then quickly looked down, focusing on his steak.

"Yes, Notus, listen to your little brother. It's not nice to make fun of relatives who just came back. Especially those who left because of heartbreak." Boreas, the oldest and the only one of the brothers that had children, joined in. Boreas liked to put down Notus a lot ever since they were kids. They clash a lot, the fiery temper of Notus and the cold indifference of Boreas. Sometimes, if fights got out of hand, they started tornados and cyclones. Right now they were at a truce.

Astraeus, their father and her uncle, said nothing. He was the most serious of her uncles, compared to her uncle Pallas, who was always aggressive and brash. But he had gotten killed by Athena, so now all she had left was him. He was always her favourite, and she always saw him as a second father right after the war. He only nodded when she greeted him.

"So, Hec, have you heard about the wedding?" Notus suddenly said out of nowhere, while everybody was eating.

"Notus!" Everybody snapped.

"What?" Notus looked confused. "She's bound to know sooner or later. We should tell her now instead of letting her get depressed and stuff."

Everybody still looked angry and a bit embarrassed, but Hecate didn't care anymore. She turned to Notus, "Yes, I know about the wedding. I'm happy for them both." She tried to smile but it came out feeling like a grimace. They pretended not to notice this.

Notus still went on, completely oblivious of the tension. "It's going to be this week. They've already decorated the whole place and everyone is going to be there. Hera's doing the ceremony as usual, Maia is actually coming out of her cave, and all 6000 children of Oceanus and Tethys are going to be there. The Oceanids and the Potamoi! Can you believe that? That's even more immortals than on Olympus! I don't know how they are going to fit everybody." He sat back in his chair, shaking his head.

Zephyrus spoke up for the first time. "I don't think all of them are going to be there. Just the major ones, like Doris, Electra, Clymene, Tyche, and even Styx." He paused for a moment to think. "Oh, and Maia's sisters are coming here to help with the celebrations, and everybody knows their history with the Olympians. You can guarantee there would be a lot of scandals." And then, he looked around suddenly as if to see if anyone was listening in on their conversation, he leaned forward and whispered, "In fact, I heard that Hermes wasn't spending much time with his bride lately."

Eos frowned. "Zephyrus!" she scolded. "It isn't nice to gossip about people. Where did you hear this information?" She tried to act angry but was also curious. Gossip in Olympus was as addictive as nectar.

"I heard it from my wife." He replied.

Boreas snickered. "Which one? The flowery one or the colourful one?" Everyone around the table tried to hold in a smile, even Astraeus. Zephyrus glared daggers at him, but it was the truth. Everybody knew about Zephyrus's complicated love life. The Hyacinthus accident was still talked about in the halls, and to this day, Zephyrus and Apollo still harbour a deep hatred towards each other. Not to mention his two wives, Iris and Chloris, who started catfights with each other on a regular basis, and the possible affair of Iris with Morpheus. But that has yet to be proven.

Right now the table was one the verge of a fistfight.

Hecate decided to ease the tension by asking Boreas about his wife and child. "How's Orithyia and little Khione?" Orithyia was the mortal princess whom Boreas has taken as his wife, and Khione was their four year old daughter who was to become the future goddess of snow.

Boreas brightened immediately. "The two of them are just fine! Khione started to make storm winds a week ago, and then she…" Boreas rambled on and on about how she was doing, while Eos listened with rapt attention and an occasional remark thrown in, while Hecate pretended to listen. It wasn't that she didn't love children, she did-a lot, in fact—but there was only so much tales of first steps and first words she could take before screaming. Boreas finished off by saying, "Oh, and I think Orithyia is pregnant again."

Eos stood up so suddenly she knocked her chair over, causing the nearby tables to stare. But she didn't notice them, as her large amber eyes were focused on Boreas. "WHHHHAAAT?" she screeched, and once again, the entire room went silent and stared at her, before resuming their conversations. "How come I didn't hear of this?" she practically shook his shoulders.

Boreas looked afraid. "She told me a few days ago. I wanted to surprise you."

Eos finally sat down, her face lit with joy. "That is excellent news! I've always wanted more grandchildren! You have to let me be at the birthing ceremony." She turned to Astraeus, who was still eating as if nothing happened. "Did you just hear that? We're going to expand our family!" She clutched his hand excitedly.

Astraeus chewed his food before speaking for the first time. "I am just as excited as you, my shining dawn."

Hecate turned towards Boreas again. "Congratulations, cousin. I hope I can be at the ceremony also."

Notus also turned towards him. "I hope it's a boy this time. I want to have real men around instead of you sissies."

Zephyrus seemingly forgot his argument with Boreas. "I second what Notus just said. But I'll still be happy even if it is another girl." He gave a crooked smile. "Or a mutated monster."

"I hope it isn't," Eurus cut in. "But it'll be fun to have one as a nephew." He caught Boreas's glare and quickly added, "But I bet it's going to be a beautiful child."

Boreas seemed to be satisfied. "Thank you for all your kind wishes. And about your request," he glanced at Hecate. "Of course you'll be there. You are going to be probably the most important part."

"Why?" Hecate asked, wondering where this was going.

"Because you'll be the midwife."

Hecate could not comprehend what she just heard. It seemed too unreal to be true. "You want me to be…the midwife? Me?"

"Yes. I know that you are good with this childbirth stuff. You were the one helping Persephone give birth to Melinoe, wasn't it?" Boreas said, seeming not fazed by his huge offer.

Hecate took a moment to unhinge her jaw. "Y-yes, but…" she struggled to find an excuse. "But wouldn't you rather have someone more experienced, like Eileithyia? And why me, anyway?"

Boreas smiled. "Because, you are my family and I'd trust you with my life."

Hecate felt a spurt of warmth and gratitude rush through her like a warm bath. She had never been told that before. Everybody around her always mistrusted her either because she was a Titan or because they were scared of her powers. To be told that she was trustworthy was…different, but in a good way. Boreas, at that moment, was her number one favourite cousin.

"Thank you, Boreas." She said, feeling the unexpected prickle of tears. "I would be honoured to help your wife give birth." She reached over and hugged him.

Eos was listening, and also hugged them. "We wouldn't have any other person to do this for us." She turned towards her other three sons. "And I expect you three to settle down. And yes, Zephyrus, that means you too, even if you are married." She said at Zephyrus, who was opening his mouth.

Notus pointed towards Hecate. "What about her? She's family too, and she definitely needs to start a family, and get over Bunny Ears over there." He gestured over his shoulder towards Hermes, who was chatting with Dionysus while still pretending to be not looking at her table.

Hecate flushed. It was her choice if she wanted to get married or not! Just because she was a woman doesn't mean she can't be single, like the Three Virgin Goddesses. She glared at Notus's smirking face and aimed a sharp kick at his shin, feeling satisfaction in his pained yelps.

Eos quickly calmed the both of them down. "If Hecate doesn't feel ready for marriage, then that's up to her." She suddenly frowned at the large sundial on the ceiling. "Oh my, it's almost the end of dinner, isn't it?"

She was right, because just then, a tinkling chime sounded through the room, signalling that dinner was over. Nymphs came out of the hidden doors that lead to the kitchen to collect the dishes and eating utensils. The gods and goddesses got up to go. Hecate followed them.

As she was heading down the hall, somebody caught up with her. It was Apollo, the annoying sunny blond tragic romantic musician healer. With a jealous streak.

Oh, Hecate just couldn't _wait _to hear what he had to say. "What do you want?" she asked, hoping he'd be put off by her rudeness.

Apollo pouted, which made him look younger than he is. He had blond hair and blue eyes, and a tan, muscular body, which made him as different as can be from his twin, Artemis. Apollo was easy-going and flirtatious, while Artemis was more aloof and quiet. Hecate liked to think they were adopted. At least that explained why they were so different from _her._ "What's wrong cousin?" he asked, as he struggled to catch up with her increasingly fast footsteps. "Aren't you glad to see me?"

"Glad? Oh, I'm glad all right." Hecate muttered, finally spotting the transparent tube. "Now I'd love to catch up with you, but I had a long day and I need some rest. So goodbye!" she broke away from him and headed towards the tube, feeling relieved.

But just as she was about to step inside, Apollo somehow managed to block her way. "Aw, come on, Cat." he smiled, using his nickname for her. "We've got time to chat a little bit. We're family, after all! And I definitely cannot just avoid greeting you on your first day back! After all, that would be rude, wouldn't it?"

Hecate considered turning him into a slug and stepping on him, but decided that she would probably get into a messy situation with Zeus and Leto and worst of all, Artemis, so she tried her best smile on him. "But I'm so tired and overwhelmed by my day back, that I simply cannot carry a conversation without possibly falling asleep on the spot! So please, let me go to my room?" She tried to move around him but he blocked her again. The slug idea was starting to sound very appealing now.

Apollo folded his arms. "It won't be a long talk. In fact, I've only one question for you. Are you feeling jealous about your ex-boyfriend's wedding?"

Hecate gaped at him, hardly believing her ears. Apollo was always forward with his thoughts, but this seriously is the icing on the cake. "What? No! I'm sure as hell not jealous of _him_. Stop asking stupid questions and get away from me!" Hecate decided she would tell them that he was the one who started it first when they asked why Apollo is stuck on the bottom of her boot.

Apollo grinned, flashing his blindingly white smile. "Oh, I knew it! You are jealous." He let out a loud laugh. "I can clearly tell that you are lying, because after all, I am the god of truth. Oh, but don't worry, dear cousin." His voice turned deep and smooth, his trademark seducing voice. "If you are feeling lonely, then perhaps I can give you…companionship. You know where my room is, don't you?" he winked, and she resisted the urge to throw up.

"How dare you suggest that to me?" she yelled, feeling a hot rush of anger. "I am not going to stand here and be talked to like one of your conquests, you…pervert!" then, without thinking, she kicked him in the crotch, causing him to squeak a few octaves higher than usual and drop to the ground, curled into a ball.

"Just wait till I tell Hermes about this." He managed to say, as Hecate stepped over him to walk towards the tube. "I'll get him to take revenge on you."

"You do that." Hecate said to him, as she began to rise up. "See you later, Apollo."

_My gods, _she thought minutes later as she lay on her bed, suddenly exhausted. _What a day. I've beaten up two of my cousins, got tackled, and was asked to become a midwife. That's one busy day, even for Olympus._

Her last thought before she drifted off to bed was that she didn't tell anyone that she was only staying for a week.

* * *

**Yes, I suck at updating on time. I promise the next chapter would come much faster, though. By the way, can you believe that Fanfiction took off My Immortal Repost? They took away my lulz from reading reviews! Curse you preps!**

**Anyway, review!**


	6. Peps Talks from My Dog

Hecate woke up in the middle of the night, gasping for air. Her hair was matted to her scalp with sweat, her blankets were tangled around herself in a giant knot, and her heart was pounding a million times per second. She couldn't remember her dream, but she had the vague feeling that it was horrible and she was glad she didn't remember it.

Sleep wasn't coming back to her, so she got out of bed and walked towards the balcony. There she sat on a cushioned chair and stared at the moon.

When she was a kid, she'd always sneaked out of her room and headed to the rooftop garden, where she could get a good view of Selene in her moon chariot, riding across the sky, enchanting the land in her glow. Sometimes she watched alone. Sometimes her mother came along, too.

For as long as Hecate could remember, her mother always stayed up during the night, because she is the goddess of the stars and night. Hecate's first memory was of her mother taking out her bow and arrow and shooting down stars. Hecate remembered that she would always cry whenever her mother would shoot down a star. Then her mother would comfort her by telling her that stars will always be reborn. That was a very long time ago.

Her father, on the other hand, wasn't as gentle. He was the Titan of destruction, and so instead of teaching her to be a good person, he taught her how to destroy things. People didn't like him very much, but Hecate would always defend him. He wasn't the best father, but he cared for her mother and herself and that was enough.

Hecate was lost in her thoughts when she heard footsteps coming from the ground below her. She peeked over the balcony and saw a familiar figure with two wings on his head walk out of the palace.

She had no idea what went through her mind, because the next thing she knew she was invisible, climbing down the wall and following him.

_What the heck am I doing?_ She wondered as she followed him to the city, which housed many of the minor gods and where all the activity is at. She felt very annoyed with herself, yet she can't make herself turn back. _If Aphrodite saw me now, she'll never let me live it down._ _And why am I following _this guy? _I hate his guts! ...I think._

Problem is, she wasn't sure if she hated him or not. Of course she was furious with him for cheating on her, but somehow she couldn't stay mad at him. He was just that type of person, the person whose cheery personality that people just can't stay mad at. She remembered the pranks he'd play on the other gods and how he slowly introduced her to having fun instead of just keeping to herself. Of course, she'd changed him too. She taught him the basics of magic and the joy of finding the hidden things in life, how to slow down and enjoy every moment instead of rushing by.

_Great, now I'm smiling while I'm stalking my ex-boyfriend who I supposedly hate. Olympus is getting to me. _She reminded herself to strangle Hades again when she gets back.

After a few minutes of walking, they'd reached the outskirts of the city and the edge of the forest. It was the same forest where they'd first met. Hecate wondered why they were there.

_Is he here to meet another nymph? _She thought crossly as they walked in deeper and deeper, pass larger than normal trees and flowing streams. _Is he cheating on Peitho too? _Which wasn't that big a deal, because Peitho had a lot of lovers too. Hecate remembered her as one of those girls who would get a boy and toss him out as soon as she was bored with him. She was always very aggressive. It figures that she was one of Aphrodite's attendants.

Hecate was so caught up in her thoughts that she nearly bumped into Hermes, who had suddenly stopped in front of a vaguely familiar tree and was now staring at it like it might be hiding gold. The moonlight streamed through the branches, lighting up his body. Hecate could see his soft, straight brown hair and his tan, muscular body and…

_Oh stop it, _she told herself firmly. _This is no time to admire him. _She now recognized the tree. It was the tree where her life has changed. It still looked the same as ten years ago. The branches were still twisted high above her head and the leaves were huge, about the size of her head. It still looked like a comforting place to sleep, but she knew better now.

"You don't have to hide now," he suddenly said, turning to her direction. Hecate was so startled that she nearly fell. She felt ashamed of herself that she didn't try hard enough to hide herself, and then she felt embarrassed and angry and frustrated and for some reason, relieved and…

_I feel like I'm going to explode from all these feelings_, she thought in the middle of the frenzy of emotions. _Why does he make me feel this way? _But she turned herself back to visible anyways.

"I see that I have you as a stalker." He continued, completely oblivious to her inner insanity. He smiled. "I never would have put you as one, Hecate." For some reason, the way he said her name made her shiver.

Hecate was determined not to look weak in front of him, of all people. "I guess you don't know much about me, then." She was proud of herself for not stuttering.

"Oh, but I do know a lot about you." He stepped closer to her, making her palms sweaty and slightly stepping back a little. "I know why you're here, and why you followed me."

"Really?" She was pretty sure no one knew about the vacation. And why would Hermes know anyway?

"Yep," he smiled triumphantly. "Because you're jealous of me finding happiness so soon and you want to get back together."

She stared at him, hardly believing what she was hearing. He thought she was jealous? Who did he think he was? Could he possibly be this shallow? She was so outraged that her eyes were beginning to see red, and she felt her fists clench.

"I..you…jealous? What the…"she could only sputter as the smile on his face grew.

"Aha! I knew it! You are jealous." He continued stepping forward until they were only inches apart. "Well, my dear Hecate, I could honestly say that there is no need to be. I'm sorry that we didn't work out, but you need to accept the fact that we are over, instead of stalking me. I love Peitho now, and that's that. So why don't you go back to your witchcraft and go on with your life?"

Hecate suddenly snapped back to her senses. Was he really doing this? And Zephyrus said that he was unhappy! He was probably unhappy because being married means he wouldn't be as appealing to girls now. Hecate was definitely not going to just stand here and take this. She straightened her back, steeled her gaze, clenched her jaw, and poked her finger into his chest. Hard. "Excuse me? Did you just accuse me of being jealous? Is your hat screwed on too tight, because it obviously isn't big enough to hold your head. I came to Olympus because Hades forced me to take a vacation, not to come fawn over you, like everyone else does for some reason. I can see that you and Peitho would make a fine match. Hope you have a good wedding, _Hermes_." She said his name as if it's a curse. Then she disappeared in a poof of mist before he could ask her why she followed him, which truthfully, she still didn't know why.

She also left before he could see her cry.

She reappeared in her room in Pantheon, tears streaming down her face. She hated Olympus and its inhabitants. She hated everything about it. She wanted to go back to the Underworld so badly, it hurt. She didn't belong here and didn't want to.

Everybody always feared her simply because of her powers and what she stood for. They were afraid of her magic and disquieted by her connection with ghosts. They always saw her as Hecate the witch or the crone. They thought she was evil, even though she did nothing wrong. Wasn't she, one of the only Titans, who supported Zeus in the Titan War? Wasn't she the one who comforted Demeter and lead her to Helios when Persephone went missing? Didn't she fight for the gods again in the Giant War even though they did her much wrong? She never killed any mortals for petty reasons, and even when they did cross her, she turned them into her sacred animals, which was a far better fate than death and ending up in the Fields of Punishment for crossing a god.

She was not going to put up with these gods anymore. She was leaving Olympus, Hades be damned. She figured she could always live in the forest for a while. She did that before.

Just as she was making up her mind to leave, she heard a familiar presence in her mind. It was Merope, her dog.

"Hey!" she smiled, a bit surprised. She would have thought that she would be sleeping.

_And where did you think you'd be going? _Merope answered back, right to the point.

"Don't you question me about what I do." Hecate said, wondering how Merope knew what she was thinking.

_Since I'm your friend and companion, that makes it my responsibility to know what you do. Are you seriously leaving Olympus just because of some annoying people and hurt feelings? _Merope questioned, reminding Hecate of her mother.

"I just can't stay here." Hecate said, feeling a bit ashamed without knowing why. "These people, they are so frustrating! I can't stand them!"

_So? You can't stand Hades either. The Hecate I know wouldn't leave because of these small problems. _Merope chided. Hecate could imagine her clucking her tongue, if dogs could do that.

"Yeah, but…" Hecate felt a bit foolish now. "Hades is just one god. There are hundreds of them here. And they'd all be focused on me, just because my ex-boyfriend is getting married." She told Merope about all that has happened.

_So you're saying that you could stand before Titans, Giants, monsters and demons from the darkest pits of Tartarus, but not a pesky gods and a wedding? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! You are Hecate! The Queen of the Ghosts, the Invincible One, the One before the Gate, She Who Holds the Keys, Queen of Magic… _Merope was interrupted by Hecate.

"Okay, okay, I get it. I have many titles." Most of these were given by Zeus, though why remains a mystery to Hecate. She once asked Leto why he gave her so much power but not to any of the other gods, and she only answered with, "He must like you a lot!" That had scared Hecate so much that she decided not to ask that again. "But those are nothing! I'm not exactly an easy person to get along with. And popularity is what matters here."

_True, true. But still, what would the others think if you left after one day? Just because you can't handle them? And besides, you still didn't visit all of your friends yet. Isn't that why you came here in the first place? _Merope said, still egging her on.

"Yeah, that's true. I hate it when you're right. What happened to me that I can't even fight a dog?" Hecate finally gave up. She walked back to the bed and laid down. One of the reasons why she gave in so easily was because some small, secret part of herself did want to stay here. She wanted to see her family and friends again and wanted to give Hermes the impression that she wasn't the sobbing wreck that he had expected, that she wouldn't leave here in tears just because of something that happened almost twenty years ago. She was going to have fun here, and enjoy herself!

_Now there's the Hecate I know! You'll get through the wedding just fine, I can see that. Good night, Hecate._ Merope yawned and her mind connection went out.

"Good night to you too, old friend." Hecate whispered softly.

_I am going to die by the end of this week. _Hecate thought as she was slowly drifting off to sleep. _Not literally, of course. In fact, I will actually prefer to die before I spend another day here._

_I seriously hate Hades._

* * *

**Yay, update! I'm sorry if this chapter isn't very good. I suck at writing about these things. School starts tomorrow, so i'm a bit depressed. Review!**_  
_


End file.
